Beyond The Surface
by JPsmiles
Summary: A WHN for the episode Beneath the Surface
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Beyond the Surface**

**Summary: A WHN for the episode Beneath the Surface**

**His head pounded. **

**His chest felt tight and every breath seemed to take a concentrated effort. **

**His stomach rolled as the van rocked along the bumpy dirt road. **

**He fought back the nausea as long as he could, but as the bile started rising in his throat he gagged out, "B.A., pull over," before cupping his hand over his mouth. **

**Face leapt from the van and stumbled over to a large tree. He leaned against it with one hand and as soon as he removed the other from over his mouth the floodgates opened. That was the problem with pushing his feelings down for too long…they were bound to come out one way or another.**

**Hannibal and B.A. turned away from the sight of their friend retching wanting to give him a little privacy. **

**"Somethin' ain't right wit' the Faceman," B.A. said. **

**"You think?" Hannibal quipped, sneaking a peak at his Lieutenant who was still bent over. **

**B.A. rolled his eyes, deciding to ignore the sarcasm. "He been actin' real weird lately, man…almost makin' the fool look normal." **

**Hannibal sighed; he had noticed it too. Since the last job ended a week ago, Face was quiet and contemplative. He wasn't eating or sleeping much and looked pale and worn out. **

**When they turned back, Face had his back resting heavily against the tree trunk. It was the only thing keeping him upright at the moment; that and the knowledge that Hannibal and B.A. were watching. **

**It had been a little over a week since his world began turning upside down on him. But his regret and embarrassment only continued to grow. As did his anger...some towards the team but mostly directed at himself. He couldn't talk to anybody about what he was feeling. They wouldn't understand. They would just think he was being dramatic and would make a joke out of it as they had done throughout the whole case. But it wasn't funny. The memories of the past combined with the events of the present had taken their toll and were literally making him sick. **

**If he was really honest with himself, he was more hurt than anything. But as the others would all too quickly point out, as a con man honesty wasn't his strong suit.**

**"He ain't movin' man." B.A. stated. "One of us should check on him." He was relieved when Hannibal nodded, opened his door and started getting out. **

**Hannibal approached Face slowly not wanting to startle his friend who stood against the tree with his eyes closed. **

**"Face?" he questioned softly. **

**Face slowly blinked his eyes open. "Sorry,' he mumbled. **

**Hannibal shook his head slightly. Only Face would apologize for being sick. "You okay?" **

**"Yeah...sorry," he said again. **

**"No need to apologize, kid. Think you can make it back to the van?" **

**Face was doubtful, but he had to try. He pushed off of the tree and managed a few steps before the spots appeared before his eyes and the ground began to tilt under his feet. His legs buckled and he fell to his knees. **

**Hannibal saw Face fall and he immediately knelt down beside him. **

**Face started to get back up. "I'm okay," he panted. **

**Hannibal put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, just stay down a minute." He looked toward the van wanting to wave B.A. over, but the big guy was already on his way. **

**B.A. crouched down beside the duo. "You okay, Faceman?" **

**"Yeah...just a little dizzy." He could have added a few other adjectives, but he was too busy trying not to pass out. **

**Hannibal and B.A. each grabbed him under one of his arms and helped him stand up. Face swayed between the two men, but slowly they managed to make it back to their vehicle. **

**"Where to, Colonel?" B.A. asked. **

**"My place," Hannibal answered from Murdock's usual seat. **

**Face leaned back and closed his eyes. That was the last place he wanted to go right now, but knew better than to argue. It would get him nowhere and waste energy that he didn't have to spare at the moment. **

**They drove in silence until they reached the condo Face had scammed for Hannibal months earlier. Face was in a daze as they led him inside and into a bedroom. Hannibal lowered him onto a bed a placed a hand onto his forehead. He wasn't hot, but he definitely wasn't well.**

**"Get some sleep...call if you need anything."**

**Face watched Hannibal's back as he exited the room and sighed with relief. What he needed Hannibal or the others couldn't provide. Unless of course they had access to a time machine to take him back some 20 years...he'd even settle for just back a week when he was blissfully oblivious. But since that wasn't a possibility he closed his eyes and let the exhaustion claim him.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Beyond the Surface**

**Summary: A WHN for the episode Beneath the Surface**

**Face remained in bed for the rest of the day and through the night. By the morning he forced himself up and made his way into the kitchen and started the coffee maker.**

**"Hey, man...good seein' you up again," B.A. said walking through the door and taking a seat at the table. "How you feelin'?"**

**"Better...much better," Face lied with a false grin. **

**Hannibal joined them a few minutes later and after eyeing Face up and deciding that he did indeed look improved, he started talking about their upcoming job later in the week. **

**Face's mind began to wander and he wasn't paying any attention to the conversation.**

**"Earth to Face...anybody in there?" Hannibal was waving his hand in front of Face's eyes.**

**"What? Oh...sorry," Face apologized, his cheeks turning pink.**

**"You sure you're okay, kid? Maybe you should go lay back down."**

**Face shook his head. He had many hours to think his situation through and decided his best course of action would be to pretend the whole thing never happened. **

**He had done it countless times before...pushed his feeling so far down beneath the surface until even he couldn't find them or feel them anymore. "No...I'm fine...really."**

**Hannibal didn't buy that for a moment and decided to probe further. "Is there something bothering you...something you want to talk about?"**

**Again Face shook his head. "No...my brain is still a little foggy is all."**

**"Speakin' of foggy brains...the fool called and asked if you could spring him later." B.A. couldn't hide his amusement as he added, "seems he has a date."**

**"Sure...no problem."**

**Hannibal still looked wary. "You sure you're up to it?"**

**This time Face nodded. "I wouldn't want to be the one to mess up Murdock's love life," he joked plastering on a smile.**

**"Thanks for breaking me out, Facey," Murdock smiled from the passenger seat of the Corvette.**

**"I owe you as much after what you did for me last week," Face smiled back hoping to leave it at that.**

**"Speaking of that...I appreciate you getting the limo fixed so quickly. Dr. Richter never even noticed anything was wrong."**

**"It was the least I could do." Face tried to quickly change the subject. "So tell me about this date."**

**"I wanted to surprise you...It's Elaine!" Murdock beamed.**

**"Elaine?" he questioned, voice cracking slightly.**

**"Yes, Elaine...sister of Barry...one of your oldest friends. The guy you..."**

**Cutting him off Face said abruptly, "I know who Elaine is." But seeing the excitement in his friend's face he softened his tone and added, "You just caught me surprise is all. I thought you didn't like her?"**

**"It was love at first parking ticket," Murdock joked, referring to the circumstances under which he first saw the pretty blonde meter maid. "If you hadn't forced me to drive you to that reunion in the limo, I would have never met her. I should be thanking you."**

**"Glad it worked out for one of us, buddy."**

**Murdock furrowed his brow and eyed Face warily hearing the wistful tone in his friend's voice. "You okay, Face?"**

**'I wish people would stop asking me that...nobody seemed that concerned about my well-being when they were laughing at Barry's stories.' **

**Face started up the engine and pulled out into the traffic trying to ignore the voices in his head playing the same tunes they had for days:**

**Hannibal quipping,**_** "How many times did you con this guy, Face…I bet he was your number one stooge."**_

**B.A. grumbling,**_** "I'm glad I didn't know you when I was a kid."**_

**A disgruntled Elaine saying**_**, "I can't believe it…he always told me you were his friend." **_

**And finally the conversation between himself, Barry and Hannibal.**__

_**"Temp do you remember the day you conned me out of my Allman Brothers tickets."**_

_**"Now…wait Barry, I never realized how hard I was on you back then…it's just that you were so easy…you were like a proving ground…"**_

_**"NO, no…see that was the day Elaine and her family came to the orphanage. I had to be you for a couple of hours while you were gone, remember. They really like me and that was the day they decided to adopt me. I told them the truth later."**_

_**"You told them you were me and they adopted you?"**_

_**"That was the deal we…that was the switch we made for the tickets."**_

_**"Oh."**_

_**"How was the concert?" **_**Face could still hear Hannibal laughing at him**

**"Face?"**

**"What…oh…sorry. I'm fine, Murdock...where am I taking you?"**

**"To Elaine's apartment." Seeing the way Face's body stiffened at the mention of her name, he added, "You are okay with me seeing her, right?"**

**'No...kind of puts a damper on my plan to move on and forget the past.' But Face knew it wasn't Murdock's cross to bear. "Why wouldn't I be?"**

**"Well...I don't know...maybe you're upset that I got Elaine while Rebecca Piper played you?"**

**That stung a bit. The truth was that Face had been upset, but not that Rebecca wasn't interested in him...she had after all avoided him through 4 years of high school. But he didn't think that she would actually stoop to going to the military. And though he was embarrassed, Rebecca Piper was the least of his problems at the moment.**

**"Nah...I had the last laugh, remember." He also had a hot and heavy session with her in the back of the limo made all the more sweet when she realized he was playing her and that there would be no reward for catching a member of the A-Team.**

**"Or maybe you had your eye on Elaine for yourself?"**

**Face chuckled; while Elaine was a very attractive woman, she was also one woman he wanted to avoid as she was a link to a part of the past he wanted to forget.**

**But Murdock misread the laugh and became defensive. "What, she isn't good enough for the likes of you?"**

**Face instantly sobered. "No...no...it's nothing like that."**

**"Well, then what is it?"**

**"It's nothing, Murdock." Face kept his eyes on the road and muttered, "It's nothing you would understand."**

**"You're right...I don't understand. But then again, I'm the crazy guy...why would I understand anything?"**

**Face turned to look at Murdock. "You know I don't feel that way."**

**"Do I?"**

**"Where is this coming from?"**

**"Elaine said..."**

**"Oh Elaine said..."**

**"See, you do have a problem with her!"**

**"Murdock...I...um..."**

**"She said you were only out for yourself...and I defended you!"**

**It was rare for Murdock to get so upset that Face was at a loss for what to do. "Can we just drop it?"**

**"Sure...whatever." Murdock slumped down in his seat and began studying his finger nails.**

**They kept driving in silence until they pulled up at the complex. Murdock wordlessly opened the door and began to step out.**

**"Hey...Murdock...I'm sorry. I really do wish you the best."**

**Murdock nodded. "I know you do...I just wish you weren't so selfish sometimes. Thanks for the ride." With that he slammed the door and walked away.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: Beyond the Surface**

**Summary: A WHN for the episode Beneath the Surface**

**Face felt like he had been punched in the gut as he watched Murdock disappear into the building. He didn't know how things had turned so bad so fast. He only wanted Murdock to be happy and should have done a better job at concealing his emotions. After all, as a con man, concealing his emotions is what he did. And as Templeton Peck it is what he had been taught from childhood.**

**He drove back to his apartment and went straight for the shower. He stood there letting the hot water pelt him and hoping it would wash away some of his anguish. He remained there until the water turned cold and only when he felt himself start to tremble did he turn off the water and think to get out. But by that time his legs felt like rubber and he slid down the wall and hugged his legs into himself.**

_**"Barry...go get the others and lock yourselves inside the dormitory."**_

_**"Not again..."**_

_**"Yeah...and he's real drunk this time...go...quick."**_

_**"But what about you, Temp?"**_

_**"Don't worry about me...I'll be fine."**_

**The sound of the telephone ringing in the adjacent bedroom brought him out of his flashback. However, it was B.A.'s gruff voice leaving a message on the machine that forced him up and out of the shower. He stumbled into the bedroom naked, his legs still not ready to fully cooperate. **

**B.A. only called him if something was wrong and Face's heart started beating faster as he pressed rewind and then play.**

**"Faceman...I ain't happy wit' you man."**

**'Nothing new there,' Face thought as he stood there shaking. **

**"The fool just called me and asked me to pick him up later...said somethin' about you not likin' his new girl. Listen man, we never say nothin' bout all them chicks you go out wit. Ain't right you talkin' trash about the fool's girl. And now I gotta miss the game to go pick his crazy butt up. I ain't happy, man.'**

**There was a pause on the tape and Face cringed in anticipation of what was to come.**

**"You real selfish sometimes, Faceman. You better work this out with the fool when I pick you up in the mornin'...or I'll take care of you." Click…B.A. hung up the phone. **

**Not wanting to know what B.A. meant by his final words, Face decided to pull Murdock aside first thing in the morning. Too tired to even bother getting dressed he crawled into the bed and curled into a ball under the comforter and fell into a fitful sleep.**

_**"Templeton...come over here, boy."**_

_**"Sorry, Father...I think I'd better stay over here."**_

_**"Don't talk back to me!"**_

_**"I wasn't, sir."**_

_**"I don't know what I'm going to do with you."**_

_**"The same thing you always do."**_

_**"What's that, boy?"**_

_**"Nothing, Father."**_

_**"You have a sharp mouth boy...you need to be taught a lesson. After all, spare the rod...spoil the child."**_

**Face felt the crack of the whip against his back over and over. Gradually the sounds of leather against flesh turned into a knocking sound and Face woke to hear something pounding on his door. Drenched with sweat and pulse racing, Face jumped out of the bed and wrapped a towel around his waist.**

**"Coming," he called.**

**Face opened the door to find an unhappy looking Murdock on the other side. "Faceman...we've been waiting outside for tem minutes. Hey...why aren't you dressed?"**

**"Just got out of the shower," Face fibbed hoping his sweat could pass as water. "Just gimme a minute."**

**"Whatever," Murdock mumbled stepping inside the living room**

**Face quickly went back to the bedroom and threw on a pair of khaki pants and a black button down shirt. He ran a comb through his damp hair and looked at his reflection in the mirror. 'It was just a dream...get a hold of yourself...just a dream.' But years before it hadn't been a dream... it had been his reality.**

**Face locked the door behind him and then he and Murdock started for the van.**

**"Hey, Murdock...I um...wanted to apologize for yesterday. I was out of line...I'm really sorry."**

**Murdock looked over at Face and smiled slightly, but it appeared forced. "It's okay...let's forget it and focus on the case, okay?"**

**"Yeah, okay."**

**And that's what they did for the next several hours as they tracked down a corrupt business man that was extorting money from their clients by showing up at their restaurants with thugs and threatening them to pay up or else. They waited in one of the establishments for the bad guys to come for their daily dose of harassment, but this time they were prepared.**

**A few flying vegetables mixed in with some flying fists later and the thugs were all tied up in the middle of the kitchen floor. Hannibal left a note on the head honcho for the authorities' reading: Ask me how I swindled these innocent folks out of thousands.**

**There was only one thing left for the team to do and that was where Face came in. They were going to break into the ring leader's office and collect all of the stolen money out of the safe to return to it's rightful owners.**

**Hannibal turned to look at his lieutenant who hadn't uttered a word since they left the restaurant, "Face, what gives?"**

**"Huh?"**

**"You're being quiet...too quiet."**

**"Just running through what I'm going to do in my head is all."**

**"No...you've been like this since your reunion. What's going on?"**

**B.A. scoffed. "I think the Faceman is still ticked off that we didn't get a piece of that treasure we helped Barry find."**

**Hannibal knew that wasn't it, but he could also tell that now wasn't the right time to get into it. Trying to lighten the moment Hannibal joked, "Is that true? Selfish, kid, real selfish."**

**But Face didn't hear it the harmless way Hannibal had intended. His eyes flashed as he felt himself starting to crack...the pushed down feelings rising to the surface. "Great now all three of you have called me selfish within the last few days."**

**"Well, if the label fits…" Murdock started still heated over the day prior.**

**"And we know how you love them labels…" B.A. added. **

**"Especially the designer ones on ones that say Gucci or Prada," Hannibal finished with a wide grin. His grin disappeared, however, when he saw the hurt in Face's eyes. "Hey, kid...I didn't mean..."**

**But Face didn't stick around to hear anymore as they had already reached their destination. The sooner he got in and got the money, the sooner he could get away from the others. **

**However, he hadn't counted on the little surprise that met him inside the office door after he picked the lock. 'Damn...I thought we got all you creeps,' he thought.**

**"Hey, pretty boy...what you doing here?" a large muscle bound thug asked grabbing him by the neck with one hand and holding a switchblade with the other.**

**Face schooled his features and acted innocent. "Oh, gee...I must have the wrong address. He pretended to pull a paper out of his pocket. "Let me see what it says here..." Face pulled his arm back and hit the man hard in his ribs causing him to let go. Face then tackled him to the floor where they struggled. **

**Face felt a sharp pain in his side but ignored it as he fought to gain the upper hand. Finally he was able to kick away the knife and land and a few swift blows to the head to render the man unconscious. **

**Working on auto-pilot and adrenaline, Face made quick work of the safe and grabbed the money. It wasn't until he reached to open the door that he again felt the searing pain across his ribcage. It took his breath away and sent spots before his eyes but still he moved forward. Holding the bag of money and pressing against his wounded side with his free hand he staggered toward the van.**


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Beyond the Surface

Summary: A WHN for the episode Beneath the Surface

Inside they knew something was wrong by the awkward way Face was moving. Murdock slid open the van door and got out first. Jogging over to Face who had all but ground to a halt and was swaying violently he asked, "What's wrong, Face?"

Hannibal and B.A. arrived just in time to see Murdock reach out to steady Face. Time seemed to stand still as Face pulled away a bloody hand and all four men stood there staring as if it wasn't real.

"I...um...I," Face sputtered as Hannibal helped Murdock lower him to the ground.

"Don't talk, kid. Let me take a look."

Hannibal unbuttoned the shirt and pulled it open to reveal a deep gash that was bleeding heavily. He looked up at B.A. and said, "Bring the van over here…we have to get him to a hospital right away."

"You're going to be just fine, muchacho," Murdock smiled at Face who was beginning to pale and shake from the blood loss.

"Sorry...didn't expect...trouble." Face said breathlessly.

"Shh kid...not your fault."

"Selfish," Face murmured as his eyes began to close. "M'always...selfish."

Face had been in surgery for just about an hour when Elaine came bounding into the waiting room and into Murdock's arms.

Barry who trailed behind his adoptive sister anxiously asked, "How is he?"

Hannibal shrugged. "No news yet." He sat heavily down onto the couch and put his head into his hands. He couldn't get the sight of Face being wheeled away out of his head.

There was so much blood…they hadn't seen that much blood since Nam.

B.A. sat next to his colonel and put a hand onto his back. "He gonna be alright…Faceman's strong."

They fell into an awkward silence.

Murdock began to pace the floor and after a few moments Elaine stood and tried to coax him to sit back down, but Murdock was too worked up.

"We called him selfish…Face is in there fighting for his life and the last memory he has of us is calling him selfish."

"But why? If there's one thing Temp isn't, it's selfish." Barry saw all eyes turn to him and just stare. "What?"

"It's just surprising to hear that coming from you," Hannibal offered. "You know, after the stories you told us about the way Face treated you when you were kids."

"All that is true…but that was only a small part of our friendship. You see, Temp was very popular in high school...and I was well...um...not so much. But he always let me hang around and never let anybody pick on me. Having the star quarterback as a best friend had many perks."

"But he picked on you," Elaine pointed out.

Barry shook his head emphatically. "No...that's not true...it wasn't like that. But I see how I might have made it seem that way. Sure, he scammed and conned us a bit, but it was just a way of survival in the orphanage. More often than not his scams were to our benefit and they never were really meant to hurt anybody. I just hope I didn't hurt Temp's feelings before...especially after he sacrificed himself for me and for the others time and time again. There was this..."

Before Barry could finish his thought the double doors swung open and in walked the surgeon. They all stood up and looked at him trying to gauge from his facial expression what condition their friend was in. "Your friend is in serious, but stable condition."

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" B.A. questioned roughly.

The doctor smiled at the larger man's obvious concern that worked in contrast to his gruff exterior. "It means that he lost a lot of blood and is extremely weak, but should make a full recovery with time."

"Can we see him?" Hannibal asked anxiously.

"He's in recovery now, Colonel Smith, but once we get him into a room you can go in. Figure about another hour or so."

Hannibal froze at the mention of his name unsure how to react.

"Don't worry, I know who you are. I served two tours in Nam and always thought you guys got a raw deal. I'll take charge of Lieutenant Peck's care myself. I'll have a nurse come get you when he is settled."

Barry and Elaine decided it best to allow the team some time alone and said their good-byes, leaving the trio to sit and wait alone with their thoughts. It was Murdock who first broke the silence.

"What do you think Barry meant when he said that Face sacrificed himself?"

B.A. shrugged. "I dunno, but I was thinkin' the same thing, man."

"See big-guy...great minds do think alike."

"Ain't nothin' great about your mind, fool."

Hannibal ran a hand through his silver hair and sighed. He would have like to know what Barry was going to say as well, but right now the only thing he cared about at the moment was seeing Face.

It took an additional 90 minutes before they were summoned into a private room at the end of a long hallway. The nurse who led then explained that Face had just regained consciousness a few minutes prior.

As they entered the room they saw a ghostly white Face hooked up to a myriad of machines that beeped and whirred. Face tried to smile but his lips just wouldn't cooperate. He felt dissociated from his body, except that he was beginning to really feel all the work the doctor's did to close up his side. The pain was sharp and intense at the wound site but his entire side felt like it was burning.

The nurse injected something into his IV and explained, "Morphine...to help manage the pain."

The team expected Face to object; he hated pain medications as he liked to be control of himself as much as possible and drugs seemed to hit him harder than they would most other people. But when Face nodded slightly and they could see his hands balled into fists it became clear just how badly he must be hurting.

"Give this some time to start working and it should take some of the edge off. I'll be making my rounds just buzz if you need anything." She winked at him and as she passed the others said sweetly, "take care of him."

"We will, lil' mama," B.A. said and then followed Hannibal and Murdock who had started toward the bed.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Beyond the Surface

Summary: A WHN for the episode Beneath the Surface

"Hey, kid...how're you feeling?"

It took a few seconds for Hannibal's words to compute and for him to formulate an answer. "M'okay,"

"You scared us big time, muchacho."

"S...sorry...I..."Face stopped short and screwed his eyes shut tightly against the pain

Hannibal placed a hand on top of Face's closed fist and said, "You don't have to talk."

"Just breathe through it, man," B.A. encouraged.

The problem was that breathing is what hurt and with each intake it was as if he was being stabbed with a hot poker. He began to shake and turned his hand around to grab Hannibal's.

"You're gonna be just fine, kid. When it gets too bad for you just squeeze my hand."

Face took Hannibal up on his offer and squeezed with all his might, which wasn't very much. As the morphine took hold of him his eyelids drooped but he still hung onto Hannibal's hand lightly.

The next couple of days were a blur for Face as the pain and the drugs took complete hold over his body and mind. All he knew was that in his moments of lucidity, the guys were always there by his side.

The evening of the second day in the hospital they started to wean Face off the morphine. As a result, the following morning while he was much more with it, he was also quite uncomfortable. Not that he would willingly admit it.

"How are you feeling today, kid?"

"Better," Face smiled, but his eyes told a different story.

Hannibal smiled back but sobered as he said, "The doc said that people are starting to ask questions out there and…"

"And we better get out of Dodge?" Face finished wincing as he felt a twinge.

Hannibal nodded nervously playing with a cigar he wasn't allowed to light up. It was obvious that Face should remain in the hospital longer, but it was too risky.

"I'm fine…let's go."

Again Hannibal nodded. "B.A., get the van ready...Murdock get a wheelchair."

"Right," they answered simultaneously and set into action.

Once Murdock returned, he took one side and Hannibal the other and they ever so slowly assisted Face into the wheelchair. It took all of Face's self control not to scream out in pain as the slightest movement pulled at his wound.

Murdock took notice of his friend's sickly pallor and asked, "You okay, buddy?"

"MmmHmm." It was the only sound he could make through his tightly clenched teeth.

Murdock looked over at Hannibal with raised eyebrows questioning the sanity of what they were doing.

"I know, Captain…but what choice do we have? Stay with Face while I talk to the doctor."

Hannibal got last minute instructions and prescriptions for an antibiotic and a painkiller. After thanking the doctor they left as inconspicuously as possible for a quartet headed by a gold-wearing, Mohawk sporting and muscle bound man.

Just the vibration of the moving wheelchair made Face's side ache worse. By the time they had reached the van he was sweat soaked and on the verge of passing out. He allowed B.A. to lift him up and place him down on the van floor on a makeshift bed of blankets. At that point everything went fuzzy and he gave into the darkness.

"Where to, man?" For the second time that week B.A. found himself asking Hannibal that question with an ailing Face in the back seat.

"My place," Hannibal answered once more.

And that is where Face next woke to find himself.

If there was an upside to being stabbed for the con man it was that it served as a distraction, albeit a painful one, from all the thoughts that had been plaguing his mind. It enabled him to push it all right back down under the surface where it had resided for two decades prior.

It didn't hurt that Murdock had broken up with Elaine citing irreconcilable differences. It seemed that Elaine wasn't too keen on Woody Woodpecker cartoons while Murdock was having trouble adjusting to Elaine ticketing multiple cars while on their dates.

After a couple more days of being bed ridden, Face had had enough and begged Hannibal to let him at least let him have dinner with the rest of them.

"I don't know, Face. You heard the doc before we left."

Actually, Face hadn't. He was too busy at that point trying not to fall out of the wheelchair.

"He said that you were cut very deep and that you needed to be as still as possible..."

"Aw…c'mon, Hannibal," Face interjected, "It's not like I'm going to be dancing on the table. The only thing that'll be moving is my mouth." Face knew he was whining, but he didn't care.

Hannibal couldn't help but smile at the younger man. He was whining, and where Face was concerned that meant he was feeling better. "Fine...we're all used to your mouth moving...but if anything else so much as twitches I'll have B.A. sit on you."

"Duly noted," Face grinned.

"You need help getting to the kitchen?"

Face shook his head and waved Hannibal off. "Nah...I'll be okay. My legs still work just fine."

Face waited for Hannibal to leave before attempting to get out of the bed. Surprisingly his side wound was the least of his problems as he slowly swung his legs over the side of the bed and out his feet onto the floor. While his legs still worked, they hadn't been used in days and felt like jelly as he stood up. It took a few minutes for him to adjust to being vertical and he held onto the wall until the world stopped tilting.

The walk down the hall to the kitchen was a slow one. He kept one hand on the wall and the other arm pressed against his side. He started to think that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to be on his feet so soon. The only thing that kept him going was the heavenly smell of food wafting out the door toward him. It had been a while since he had eaten anything substantial and he hadn't realized just how hungry he was.

About halfway through the meal Face's side began to ache a bit more and he could feel his energy waning. But it was so nice to be one of the guys again that he just pushed it aside and said nothing. Things actually felt like they were back to normal and for the first time in a long time he felt relaxed. But that wouldn't last long.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Beyond the Surface

Summary: A WHN for the episode Beneath the Surface

Murdock reached for a roll and casually said, "Hey Facey, back in the hospital Barry said something about you sacrificing yourself for him and the others, but we never got a chance to hear the rest."

It was as if all the memories came flooding back in an instant...rising to the surface and pushing him down under. The fork in Face's hand fell to the floor with a clank and he instinctively started to bend over to get it.

"Ah," he gasped feeling his stitches pull.

"Lieutenant...don't move," Hannibal warned.

Face was breathing in and out rapidly through his nose trying to bring the pain down and control his emotions.

B.A. picked up the fork and put it back on the table. "You okay, man?"

"Yeah...sorry...slipped out of my hand." Face hoped it had provided enough of a distraction for them to move on, but no such luck.

"So, what did Barry mean?"

"Um...well...that was a long time ago...I'm not really sure," Face stuttered, inwardly cursing himself for not being able to come up with some sort of explanation. But his side was on fire and he was starting to feel woozy. He felt his friends' eyes on him and suddenly the room felt very hot.

"Hey, kid, you don't look so good," Hannibal said, getting up and moving toward the visibly shaking man.

"I think maybe I should lay back down," Face mumbled as he began to slump in his seat.

Hannibal and B.A. immediately each took a side and Murdock held open the kitchen door. They moved as a unit back down the hall and by the time they reached the bedroom Face was barely supporting any of his own weight. He moaned weakly as they lowered him onto the bed. Murdock handed him a couple of pain pills which he swallowed down without complaint. He'd do anything to make it stop...stop the pain and the memories.

Hannibal placed his hand onto Face's forehead. Satisfied that the slight warmth he felt was from exertion, he said, "I knew you weren't ready to be up and about yet."

Face blushed and lowered his eyes.

"I didn't mean it like that, kid. I just want you to give yourself time to heal."

'I've had over two decades for that,' Face thought miserably before closing his eyes and fading out.

Hannibal motioned for Murdock and B.A. to follow him out the door.

"Something isn't right with Face," Murdock said once the door was shut.

B.A. raised his eyebrows at the pilot and answered sarcastically, "ya think?"

Hannibal turned to B.A. "Didn't you and I have this same conversation just last week?"

"Yeah, man…and the Faceman still ain't actin' right."

"Did you see the way he reacted when I mentioned Barry?"

Hannibal nodded. "There's no question in my mind that he has something to do with this. Ever since that reunion something has been eating away at Face."

"I say we just ask him what it is, man."

"C'mon, big guy," Murdock said. "You know how Face is…he loves to talk unless it involves his childhood. If we push him he will just close up more."

"I can always make him talk," B.A. offered making a fist.

"B.A., the man has just been stabbed…I don't think he needs to be beaten up as well," Hannibal smiled. "Sooner or later the truth is bound to come out...I just hope it's sooner."

Hannibal got his wish a few days later. To say that things had been awkward around the house would be an understatement. Face wasn't sleeping well at night and when he would drift off he would wake up a short time later either from the constant throbbing in his side or from a nightmare. An exhausted Face had finally fallen asleep on the couch while the others sat watching football on TV.

Face began to whimper and shift under his blanket. By the time they saw it coming, they were unable to get through to him before he was too far lost in the dream.

Hannibal was at his side in an instant gently trying to coax him back to consciousness while Murdock and B.A. stood close by in case they were needed.

"Face…you're dreaming…wake up."

But the only voices Face heard were those of long ago.

_"Temp...I'm in trouble."_

_"What's wrong?"_

_"I busted the Father's window."_

_"That's okay, Barry...McGhill's cool...he'll understand it was an accident."_

_"No...it was Father Rick's car. I'm a dead man."_

_"Oh...maybe we can get it fixed before..."_

_"BOYS!"_

_"Then again...maybe not."_

_"Who broke my window!"_

_"I did, Father. Barry had nothing to do with it."_

_"Temp...don't..."_

_"Barry...run along...Templeton and I have some penance to discuss."_

Sweat was dripping down from Face's forehead and his features were contorted in agony. Hannibal felt helpless as he watched his Lieutenant and heard his little cries of pain.

The dream felt so real for Face; the Father grabbed him and twisted his arm behind his back. He could smell the stench of whiskey and it made him feel sick. He kept adding more and more pressure and wrenching it so tightly until Face couldn't help but beg him to stop.

"Please…stop…don't," Face muttered, his head tossing from side to side.

_"Templeton…why must you cause such problems, child? This is why nobody has ever wanted you…and nobody ever will unless I teach you respect. Pray with me, Templeton…pray that I can save you before it's too late."_

Face began to pray as tears leaked out from under his eyelids. "Our Father who art in heaven…"

Over the years Hannibal, Murdock and B.A. had seen Face do many things in the midst of a nightmare, but praying wasn't one of them. It sent chills down their spines and as much as they wanted to look away, they couldn't.

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven…" Face kept praying along with the priest in his mind who kept his tight hold on his arm. Just as he concluded the prayer with, "For the kingdom, the power and the glory are Yours, now and forever, Amen." There was a short pause and then Face heard the horrendous sound of a bone breaking and felt the searing pain just as intense as if it were happening in reality.

"Ahhhh!" Face screamed and his eyes flew open wide. He didn't even notice the stunned look of his friends or the pain from his mending wound as he bolted for the bathroom.

"What was that, man?" B.A. asked.

Hannibal shrugged his shoulders and looked toward the closed bathroom door. "I don't know, but I'm sure as hell going to find out. This ends now…he can't go on this way." Striding over to the door he lifted his arm to knock but froze when he heard the muffled sounds from within.

Face was crying.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Beyond the Surface

Summary: A WHN for the episode Beneath the Surface

Hannibal considered stepping back and waiting for Face to get a hold of his emotions. The problem with that, however, was that by the time Face emerged he would have his walls back up and his mask in place. So instead Hannibal knocked firmly and, without waiting for a response, he opened the door.

Face was on the floor with his back propped up against the wall. He looked up horrified that Hannibal was seeing his breakdown. Swiping at his eyes he said, "Go away…please…just go away."

Hannibal took a tentative step forward. "Kid…I just want to make sure you're okay."

Before Face had a chance to answer the question Murdock and B.A. appeared behind Hannibal at the door. "Great…the gangs all here. Just leave me alone." There was a hint of anger in his voice as his pent up feelings from the weeks prior began to surface.

"Face, we just want you to let us in, buddy."

"So now I'm your buddy, Murdock. A few days ago I was selfish, remember?" The tears were still streaming down from Face's eyes and only added to his misery and frustration.

"We just wanna help you, man."

"Oh really, B.A.? Wasn't it you who said he was glad he didn't know me as a kid? Why would you want to help somebody like me?"

B.A. hung his head. "I didn't mean it like that."

Hannibal knelt down in front of Face and looked him in his bleary eyes. "Don't do this, Face. Don't shut us out…let us in so we can help."

Face let out a bitter laugh. "Let you in? So you can laugh at me again, colonel? Thanks, but no thanks."

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Face."

"You found it so amusing that Barry was adopted instead of me…and that wasn't supposed to hurt?" Face held onto his side and pushed off the floor until he was standing upright. "I want you all to leave me alone."

Hannibal stood and crossed his arms in front of him. "Sorry, Lieutenant, but I'm not moving until we work this out."

"What is there to work out?" Face's legs were starting to shake and he leaned against the wall for support. "You three made it clear that you think I'm a selfish, bad friend with no feelings."

Murdock moved forward until he was next to Hannibal. "We made a mistake, Face."

"We really sorry, Faceman," B.A. added from behind the others, but effectively blocking the entire doorway with his large frame.

"If you were truly sorry than you would respect my wishes and leave me alone."

Hannibal shook his head. "Not until you tell us what has been giving you nightmares."

"I don't want to talk about it…it's nothing."

"It's not nothing, Face. Does it have something to do with what Barry started telling us…about you sacrificing yourself?"

Face voice started to shake along with the rest of him. "I…I told you…I didn't know what…what he meant. Just…just drop it…Mur…dock." The walls felt like they were closing in and it was getting harder to breathe. Face felt dizzy and the team began to blur in front of his eyes. He knew he was upset, but he couldn't understand why he suddenly felt so weak.

Hannibal looked to Murdock and back at B.A. his eyes telling them to maintain their positions. Face looked as if he were ready to crack, but none of them expected what happened next.

"Get…out of…my way," Face panted and then propelled himself off the wall still covering his side with his arm. Face staggered forward a few steps before his knees collapsed and he fell forward into Hannibal's arms.

Hannibal saw Face begin to go down and lunged forward to catch him. "I gotcha, kid." Face hung limply in his arms, conscious, but barely.

"He's bleedin', Hannibal," B.A. stated.

Hannibal looked in the direction his sergeant was pointing and sure enough bright red drops were hitting the floor. Murdock immediately went for the first aid kit while B.A. went from some clean towels.

"Damn…couldn't see that under your shirt," Hannibal said softly as he scooped Face into his arms. "Do you always have to wear black when you bleed?"

"S…sorry," Face whispered. His anger had dissipated along with his strength

"Just a joke, kid. I'm going to put you on the bed and check the damage."

Hannibal frowned as he lifted up the shirt. B.A. handed him a towel and he gently wiped away some of the blood to see how bad it was. It wouldn't require a trip to the hospital, but he had reopened a section of the stab wound and the bleeding would have to be stopped.

"How bad?" Murdock asked watching as Hannibal rummaged through the first aid kit.

"Not too bad, but it looks like I'm going to get to practice my sewing."

"Wonderful," Face moaned.

TBC…one more part to go!


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Beyond the Surface

Summary: A WHN for the episode Beneath the Surface

Five minutes later a shirtless Face lay stretched out on the bed. Murdock was holding one side down and B.A. the other. Hannibal soaked a cloth with a disinfectant and took a deep breath.

"Here we go, Face…ready?"

"No…but go ahead…I'm 'kay," Face slurred.

Murdock and B.A. tightened their grip and Hannibal placed the cloth on top of the wound. Face grunted and bucked against the liquid fire.

"Hang tough, Faceman," B.A. encouraged.

"Just breathe, Facey…it'll be over before you know it."

But it felt like an eternity for Face as each pass of the needle through his tender flesh sent waves of agony through his side that seemed to permeate his entire being.

Hannibal was sweating almost as badly as Face by the time he was done. It had taken longer to close him up than expected and though the patient was trying his hardest to remain still and quiet, his quivering muscles and slight moans revealed just how painful it must have been.

"All done, kid. You okay?"

"Yeah." Face's voice was rough and his body still tense.

Murdock put a glass of water up to Face's lips and helped him to drink. "Take it slow, muchacho."

Once the glass was empty, Face closed his eyes not wanting to make eye contact with the others. He was embarrassed that he had lost his cool in front of them. If they thought he was out cold maybe they would leave him alone.

But they had been together for too many years to fall for Face's act and Hannibal began to speak.

"Face…I am so very sorry for how I treated you."

"That goes for all of us…right, fool?"

"Right," Murdock confirmed. "We acted like first class jerks…you have every right to hate us."

Face's eyes popped open. "Hate you? I could never hate you…any of you," he said weakly.

Hannibal smiled. "That's good to hear, but it doesn't excuse what we did to you. We should have seen that you were hurting, but sometimes you are a better actor than we give you credit for."

"And I'm sorry for pushing you too hard to talk. It's your private business and if you wanted us to know about it you would tell us."

There was an uncomfortable stillness for a few moments before Face almost whispered, "I don't even want to know about it…let alone talk about it. The memories…talking about it makes it too real."

But it was real...it had all happened…and he knew that if he didn't talk about it now it would just continue to haunt his dreams. At least until he buried it deep down inside again only to resurface in the future.

"Father Rick," Face said.

'What?" Hannibal questioned.

"That's what, or rather who, Barry was talking about when he said I sacrificed myself."

"You don't hafta do this, man," B.A. said.

"I think I do…it's time."

Hannibal, Murdock and B.A. remained absolutely still as Face began to talk afraid that the slightest distraction would cause him to reconsider and clam back up.

"Father Rick was a priest that came to the orphanage when I was about 15. He seemed nice enough at first, but as time went by and he got comfortable he would drink…a lot. Let's just say he was an angry drunk and he started to take his anger out on us boys. At first he would just hit us, but it escalated so quickly. By the time I was sixteen the slightest thing could set him off. The others were terrified of him; I couldn't just sit back and do nothing…they were just innocent kids."

"And you weren't?" Hannibal couldn't help but ask.

Face shook his head. "I don't ever remember feeling young…and I certainly wasn't innocent. I had been shuffled around between a few orphanages before they finally let me stay with Father McGhill and um…well…this wasn't my first experience with a priest like Father Rick." Face cleared his throat. "Anyway, they didn't deserve to be treated like that."

Again, Hannibal couldn't hold back. "And you did?"

Face shrugged his shoulders and then winced as the movement jostled his side.

"You can't believe that…ain't no kid deserve to be beat on," B.A. growled.

"It wasn't so bad…really. Compared to the camps it was a breeze," Face shuddered. The blood loss in combination with the memories was taking a toll on him.

"Why didn't Father McGhill do anything?" Murdock asked.

"He didn't know…I never told him. Father Rick said that if I did he would see to it that I got sent away for good. I couldn't risk being sent away again from the only person who ever cared about me. But then he walked into the room as Father Rick was breaking my arm and when I got back from the hospital he was gone for good."

"I'm so sorry, kid."

"What for, Hannibal? It's not your fault."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"S'okay…what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Face smiled. "In that case, I must be really strong."

"You sure are, Faceman. Stronger than any of us."

Face grinned his appreciation at B.A.

"You want to know that real kicker? That night…when I went to the Allman Brothers concert…the only reason I went was because I knew it was family day and the others would be safe from Father Rick. Besides, nobody my age ever got adopted." Face felt the world slipping away and he let his eyes close. "Guess I was wrong."

Hannibal refused to leave Face's side through the night, even though he ordered Murdock and B.A. to get some sleep.

When Face did come back around, he found Hannibal holding his hand.

"Hey, kid…welcome back."

"How long have I been out?"

"Almost eight hours."

"You been here the whole time?"

"Of course…I couldn't leave my boy."

Face felt a lump forming in his throat; Hannibal had referred to him as 'my boy'. "Thanks," he gutted out.

"You were wrong, you know."

Face looked at Hannibal with confusion.

"Before you said that nobody your age ever got adopted. Well…I adopted you a long time ago. It may not have been legal, but you're my son just the same."

Face couldn't speak as the lump in his throat continued to grow. He squeezed Hannibal's hand as the tears once again filled his eyes.

Beneath the surface Face would always keep parts of his youth…it was what had shaped him and made him the man he was today. But by letting his true feelings rise to the surface, he had come to terms with parts of his troubled past.

Perhaps the biggest lesson learned was that he hadn't missed out on a family all those years ago…he had just found a different one instead. A family with one crazy brother, one brother with a "bad attitude" but a big heart, and a silver haired father who loved the jazz…but loved his boys even more.

The End


End file.
